Reply #40: Pasta and cabbage!

[giant_robot]

As a poor graduate student, I've done the rice and beans route an awful lot (and I'll be sure to try some of the variations in this thread).

This is a nice, rustic, and inexpensive italian peasant dish that's one of my favorites when I'm low on funds:

1 tbs olive oil
3-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 lb Italian sausage (removed from casing)
about half a medium head of Savoy cabbage, shredded
about 8 oz of marinara sauce
any type of pasta (1/2 lb uncooked, or 1 lb cooked)
Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta (preferably just a tad undercooked) and set aside. Heat the oil in a dutch oven or large skillet under medium-low heat. Saute garlic for about a minute, so it's fragrant but not brown. Add sausage, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until brown, breaking up the sausage as you cook. Add shredded cabbage, cover and reduce heat, cook until wilted and tender (15-20 min). Add marinara sauce and pasta, cook until pasta is heated through and al dente. Serve with grated cheese.

Hint: If you can, buy sausage patties, so you don't have to remove casings.